Eroded Metallics Backgrounds

Nellie over at the Stampotique Designers Challenge wants us to share a favorite background technique.  I've got lots of favorites, but this is a new one I recently tried - Eroded Metallics, originally shared by Tim Holtz, uses distress paints and water.  I also love to use old book pages and add some color to them for a background.  I've combined both techniques in these ATCs.

Thanks for taking a peek.  Cheers!

SDC 187: Neon

"Yo ho! Yo ho!  The pirate's life for me..."  The SDC challenge this week, and, oh yes, this is a challenge, is to use neon.  Yikes!  Lucky for me I received this awesome Agatha's Parrot recently.  Sweet!  I whipped up an ATC (you know I love my ATCs!).

Isn't he cute?  I borrowed the hat from his partner in crime, Agatha Pirate.  

Ahoy, there me hearties.  Happy Friday!

Gelli Plate Fun

I am pretty hooked on this gelli plate business.  It's funny to me that I can start out with a clear idea of what I want to create but as I get into the process that idea flies out the window and I just 'do'.  Very freeing and fun.

Because of all of this free-flowing fun I usually end up with a large stack of papers that need a home. Here are some of the things I've done with them.  Many of them I've listed in the home decor section of my Etsy shop.

Altered Switchplate Covers:

I especially love this next project.  I am an avid recycler.  The tiles for these coasters come from shop whose goal is to "put landfills out of business".  They take contractors' materials and remodel leftovers and sell them at reduced prices.  The place is fun to walk through as you never know what you'll find there - school lockers, kitchen cabinets, old windows and doors, ...and tiles!

I made several of these circle canvases using different color combos.

I have a set of these on my kitchen wall:

I love the thought that there will never be anything else quite like any of these out there in the world.  That's the beauty of the process I think.

Thanks for swinging by today!

SDC 186: Stars

Baby, you're my shinin' star!  I happened to have a traveling art journal sitting here waiting to be arted up and when I saw the stars theme I figured I could put a twist on that and use my Stampotique stamps and get my pages done and sent on their way.  Shazam!  Here goes...

My background was inspired by Trish Latimer's smeared background video.  I really wanted to try that after I saw it and promptly got very painty fingers as I smooshed paint around the pages.  After the paint dried I stenciled and stamped to my heart's content. 

In addition to acrylics I used some dye ink (had to heat set them over the acrylic background), Distress inks, washi tape, stamping over phone book pages that I had used when spraying inks, and a paint pen.

I love this quote stamp.  It appeals to my sense of whimsy.  

In addition to the SDC I'm adding this to

Unruly Paper Arts March challenge - greens (I've got those in spades here!) 

Mixed Media World 'Anything Goes' challenge

Craft Stamper Magazine 'Anything Goes - take a Stamp' challenge

Thanks for peeking in!

SDC 185: Numbers

The other day I received an unexpected lovely little present from my sister, Ann.  She sent one of her classic, funny letters enclosed in a box with some beaded earrings she made for me.  It's not my birthday.  It's not National Send Your Sister a Gift Day (as far as I know).  It was a wonderful surprise.  I also recently pulled out my gelli plate and had a great time flinging paint about until I had a nice little stash of printed papers.  ("That's nice, Julie.  What does that have to do with SDC 185?")

I wanted to send my sister a note to say thanks, but it wouldn't do to send some Hallmark card, so I whipped out my papers and made a little card for her.  It was nice and quick to put together which means it will be in the mail today and not sitting around in my "I should get this done" pile.  Yay!

Thanks for stopping by today.  :)